Hey guys, i was just wondering whether or not Early Action helps in the admissions process. Are the percentages higher than in regular decision...and would it help to apply early to schools like Yale or Stanford?

btw, how early should i start my apps if i were to apply early? (ima junior)

The general information given when a question like this is asked is as follows: EA/ED admittance percentages are indeed higher (sometimes significantly so), but the balancing factor is that the pool of applicants is generally much stronger during EA/ED decisions than RD.

I'll take Harvard, for example, since I recently looked up their figures. For the 2001-2002 school year, about 20% of those who applied EA were admitted. That's compared to about 9% during the regular application period. However: there were about 2,000 students applying EA and 20,000 applying RD.

You just have to weigh your chances at each school, as difficult as it may be to predict. If you think you'd prefer this school over any of the others you're applying to (stretch that to this school or that school if EA option is used), then by all means go for it. Sometimes the worst that can happen is that you're deferred to the regular pool of applicants. On the other hand, if you're applying to one of your 'safety' schools (or perhaps just #3 or #4 or lower on your list of preferences) just for a better chance of admission, I don't recommend it, mostly because it's not worth the trouble of getting your apps done early.

But hey, if you're enterprising and get an early start on these things, you can be the judge.

Statistically speaking, percentage-wise only, applying early to Yale and Stanford would increase your chances (though remember that each of their policies allow you to apply only to their program EA!). Realistically, well, if you're really interested in it, it's worth a shot.

To respond to that last question about when to start, I recommend finding out when the school's you're applying to let out their fall admissions applications. That's the time to get them. I know for Stanford that they're released some time in August, which gives you a few months to work on the application before it's due.

One thing I stress: stay on top of this thing. It can very quickly get mixed up with the rest of your applications, and the ED/EA deadlines pass /very/ quickly.